It’s long been known that people don’t leave businesses, they leave people, and they often leave because of a breakdown in communication and in the relationships between colleagues, managers and leaders.
Only now, as we are beginning to return to the workplace following forced work from home policies, are we finding out the true cost of that breakdown in communication. More people than ever decided it was time to change job or role, or even start up their own business.
The problem is that our managers and leaders were not equipped to recognise their responsibility to increase their communication skills, all the while trying to cope with their own situation, keep working, and keep their team productive.
The story is the same to a great to lesser extent, across every industry; just maintaining the level of service their customers expect is challenging because they are a team member down, their recruitment pool is too thin, or they just can’t recruit quickly enough.
In the same way as retaining a customer is easier and cheaper than gaining a new customer, the simplest answer seems to be; get better at retaining your existing team.
Easier said than done I hear you say, and you are right. Most seem to think that increasing a salary offer and adding more benefits to employment is enough. Sadly, most are finding out that whilst it may encourage short-term loyalty, employers are not addressing the fundamental reason the team member considered resigning in the first place – it was because of the people.
In research carried out in March 2022, the number one reason people consider leaving is because they don’t feel valued or recognised by their line manager for their contribution to the team. The research also suggests that whilst many managers and leaders recognise they need to upskill, most simply don’t know where to start, or have the time and resources to do so.
People don’t leave the business, they leave the people.
As a manager or leader in your organisation you are always encouraging your team to develop themselves, you probably provide some level of training and personal development programmes, yet are you doing the same for yourself, or are you just too busy?
Why else do people leave?
Based on conversations I’ve had in businesses and organisations, it can be because the team member has received so much support and training, they feel they have overtaken their manager, and now feel confident to strike out on their own. That’s not to say you shouldn’t upskill your team just to keep them, of course not – but you must upskill yourself to continually inspire others to greater success.
Learning how to create an environment of clear, inclusive and collaborative communication is a key step in increasing long term loyalty in your team, and it starts with you.
Remember – team members typically start thinking about leaving 3 months before you know anything about it. Unless you learn how to mitigate this process, you will always be this busy looking for your next hire, either to expand or just to stay afloat.
Where to start:
Start with something simple that makes a big and positive impact on productivity and really helps people feel included.
I’ve been using DISC to aid communication, team and culture building in organisations for years and it really does make a difference quickly. If you’ve never heard of DISC before, basically it’s a powerful life tool that helps you navigate relationships so that you are better equipped to boost productivity and positively influence loyalty. It also aids engagement and alignment in the recruiting process too.
How’s the team dynamic in your business?
Could there be something simmering you don’t know about?
A good clue is how many times you have to ask someone to complete or follow up on a task.
Become a productive manager and inspiring leader, increase loyalty in your organisation and stop worrying about team retention and recruitment – let’s talk.
Work with me:
I help owners, founders and leaders create a scalable business that works without them, build a world-class team, and 10x profitability. Book a call with me here to see if we could work together.
Remember, there are only three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who talk about why things don’t happen for them. Which one are you?
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